


The Worst Kind of Good-bye

by Rehearsal_Dweller



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, Really truly, Spoilers for House of Hades, i am so so sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-10
Updated: 2013-10-10
Packaged: 2017-12-28 23:37:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/998271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rehearsal_Dweller/pseuds/Rehearsal_Dweller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy didn't know.<br/>There was no way for him to know, not really.<br/>Right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Worst Kind of Good-bye

**Author's Note:**

> I have this nagging fear that Nico won't survive this series.  
> I'm so, so sorry.

For a long time afterwards, Percy would wish that Nico had done as he’d told Jason he would – left and never come back. He’d have saved himself rather a lot of, well, everything.

But he didn’t.

He came back.

And at first, Percy was glad for it.

But then -

“Percy!” the younger boy shouted, shoving Percy to the left. Before Percy could even begin to process what had happened, Nico had taken a nasty hit. From a blade that was dripping with a green substance that Percy had a nagging fear was poison.  _For Percy_.

Percy killed their attacker as viciously and quickly as he could before scooping Nico up and carrying him back to the ship.

“I think I have some ambrosia,” Percy said, digging through his pockets.

“S’nothing you can do,” mumbled Nico. “I can tell. Death god’s son, r’member?”

“ _No_ ,” said Percy. “Don’t  _talk_  like that.”

“Fine, I’ll die quietly,” Nico replied, glaring weakly at Percy.

“Stop it!” Percy ordered. “Come on, you’re not going to die!”

“You’re in denial,” said Nico. “Cut it out,  _I’m_  the dying one. F’anyone gets t’ be in denial, it should be  _me_. N’I’m not.”

“ _Stop_ ,” repeated Percy. He realised that they couldn’t stay like this much longer, the others couldn’t hold everything off forever. He found his last crumbly square of ambrosia in a plastic bag in his pocket. “Here, eat this.”

“Don’t waste it, Percy,” Nico said. “I’ll die anyway, and then you won’t have any left.”

“Nico, please,” Percy pleaded.

“ _No_. S’too late,” Nico mumbled. “Look, I gotta tell you something.”

“ _Nico_.”

“Shut up. Poisoned and bleeding, don’t have a lot of time. Dying wish.”

“Fine, say it. But you’re not – you’re not going to die.”

Nico closed his eyes. “M’in love with you.”

“Wh- really?”

“Yeah.”

Percy’s arms tightened around Nico. “Even with all the – oh, gods, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

Percy could see that Nico was fading fast. He held back tears as he touched Nico’s forehead with his own. “Come on, Nico, don’t die. You can’t just spring that on me and then  _go_.”

“Y’re bein’ selfish.”

“Hell yeah I am. I wouldn’t have survived this long without you, how are we supposed to win this if you’re dead?”

Nico smiled weakly. “Best hero I know, stupid.”

“I’m not. And the best hero  _I_  know is dying and won’t accept help.”

“Thanks, Percy.”

And after that…

“PERCY!” Annabeth shouted, and it sounded like she was far away. “ _Percy,_ we need you back in the fight!”

“I’m sorry,” Percy whispered again, hugging Nico’s body close.

And then he jumped back into the fray, because he’d do no one any good lost in grief.


End file.
